Electric garment press



J. C. LEDBETTER ELECTRI C GARMENT PRES S Filed Aug. 8, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l mm NN. w Ow w v b.

Oct; 11,.19z7 1,644,929

` .J. vC?. LEDBETTER ELECTRI C GARMENT PRES S Filed Aug. 8, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @noauto/ o 'lfatented0ct.E 11, 1921.

,y .15449297 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. f

:AMES c. LEDBETTER, or' nRooizLvN, Nnw YORK, ,Assicfivony BY misma ASSIGN- MENTS, fro THE rnosrnnirv COMPANY,

y ,EPURATION or NEW Yonx'.

INC., OFSYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A COR- 'nnnc'rnrc GARMENT zennss.

,application sied August s, 192e seriai'no. 730,826.

This invention relates to pressing ma chines, and particularly to improvements in garment presses operated electrically] both as to steam generating-means vfor steaming the work, and press jaw heating means for heating the work.'A 1

An object of the invention is to produce a garment pressing machine having electrically heated press jaws as well as ilash steam generating meanswhereby the samecurrent employed to vaporize the water and produce steam is likewise employed to heat the pressing jaw surfaces. I A further object isto produce van electrically heated garment press and electrically heated high speed flash steam generating means, all of which is simple in construction rendering it possible to build pressing members or press jaws of very light weight con struction as well Vas having comparatively few parts.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the principle -and construction of a machine representative of the invention,

conversant in the art how certain changes may -be' madewithout departing from the scope of the invention.

Figure, 1 shows a sectional view through one of the pressing members looking down on top thereof showing a coiled electric resistancesteam generating member, the said view being taken on the line 1--1 lof Figule 2. i'

Figure 2 illustrates a longitudinal vertical sectional view made through the pressing jaw as along the line 2'-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 illustrates a cross sectional view .245 understood by vthose of the press jaw as made on the line 34-3 of Figure 2. Y Figure 4 shows .a fragmentary view of .a pressing machine with the combinedv electric heating and steam generating means 'embodied thereon.

Figure 5 shows feed end of a hollow wire electric current conductor and water transmitting member such as a German-silver tube; and Figure 6,1

but it will be4 a detailed view of an elec-v" tric connection established .with the water wire current and water transmitting -coil is shown enlarged throughout the drawings for 1the` purpose of better illustrating the invenion. Pressing machines usually comprise a'suitable frame 1Q with means for opening'and closing press Jaws; and for example, a press lever 11 is ofttimes operated by toggle o r link connections 12 which swing the press lever 11 on a frame ful'crum 13. The forward end of the press lever 11 carries ahead 14 which rises and falls in relation to a buck 15. The work to be Atreated is inserted between the pressing jaw members 14 and 15 whereupon the work .is heated, steamed and pressed by moving the head 14 downwardly vagainst the buck.

For Ithe purpose of illustrating the present invention, I have chosen the head 14 upon which a description is based outlining the embodiment of an entirely new combined steam generating means which consists in a hollow current and water transmitting wire 1,8 which is coiled within a steam sprayl chamber 19 formed in the head 14. The head 1'4 is equipped with a foraminous or perforated pressing face 20, the perfor-ations 21l of which connect ldirectly with the-steam spray chamber' 19. spray chamber 19 is lined with an insulator sheet 22-by which the hollow German silver wire -or tube 18 is positively separated and vinsulated from the pressing metal jaw 14.. The perforated press plate or face 20 is Preferably the stearn usually equipped with a fabric press cloth- 23 through which the steam discharges as it is c iected from the foraminous plate 20 onto the work supported on the buck 15.

The inner end of the hollow wire or `coiled -tubing 18 may be plugged up as indicated at 25 in Figure'6, and a lengthwise slot 26 is formed in the electrical resistance coil or wire 1.8,and the steam produced in the hollow Wireis discharged from the slot 26 into the spray chamberl9, and the steam thereafter ejects with. pronounced velocity .out-

wardly through the .foraminous plate 20 and press cloth 23 onto the work.

The other end 28 of the hollow wire 18 projects upwardly through the wall of the press jaw 14' where suitable connection is made with a water supply means as will be A described. At each extremity of the hollow wire 18 there is located binding posts 29 and rent may be turned on and oli.

30 byiwhicli'sa curreiitffeed is conf neoted in series .with the said hollow wire 18 to-A feed'current thereto.` -An electric cutoff switch32 'may bemounted on the pressV at some convenient point'by which the cur- CurrentA Hows `Afromv the current supply transmission line31 throughout thecoil or `coils-fof, hollow wire 18 raisingfthe tempera-l ture thereof-which is transmitted through in l sulatioh22to the pressing .face 20. At the salnejme -water may be fed into 'the' end -28- ofthe hollow wire which wateris generated into steam by contact with the internal' .115"

wall of the'hotwire, 'andnby the time the -water traverses the considerable-'lengthof tube', steam is'y dischargedfin'to thel spray chamber 19.'

It is to understood-- that one .vor more hollow water-and currentconducto'rs 18 may be employed depending .upon the amount of steam to be generated. The water and cui'- rent l conducting member ismade of German silver 'or 'otherf electrical resisting .material thereby producn intense heatrinfthe tube 1S when current OWS therethrough. v

" Any suitable means may be employedI vfor supplyingwater under pressure to the steam generating and electric 'transmission memer 18, andto lthis end-a water tank 34: is

mounted in fixed' relation upon the press member 11v and swings about the fulcrum center 13 during the oscillating movement of- "the 'presslever 11 which-avoids the necessityl 'of lemploying a iexible Water -joint between the water reservoir and iiash vsteam'[generat- I wing head 14. The water tank'A is equipped with 'apump -35 having a plunger 36 oper^ i ated'bya bell crank 37, and the bell ,crank (D and pull rod 38 conveniently locatedtowards the front of the machine and adaptedto be' reciprocated. by 'the operator. -A- pipe 39N 37' is manually operated' at will by afps'h connects. the pump withv Q thetank 34 'whereby the water is drawn from the tankf up intothe pump ,'35 when the plunger'36 rises by 'spring 'pressure Aor other means A ldischarge pi e 40 connects the pump withthe outer en 28 of the hollow wire current and water transmission 4tube 18,- 'A valve box '41 containing a' checkvalve` overns theV l v action vof the pump 35 whereby t e plunger I 36 ,forces .water from the. pump-35 through the pi e'40 into-the Pressing hea'dl't.v

Inte o eration o themachine, the garmentI or ot er work spreadfuponthe'buck' 15, whereupon the operatocl'osesjhe press head by foot poweror'othersuitable means well known inthe art. l' vThe garment is nowA steamed by pulling .the rod 38 'which forces".

* a small predetermined amount ofV water from thepump 35 throughthefhollow 4-wire 18; and; the.water'traversessucka consideri Y able iengthof wire 18 as .effectively pro;

. duce steam by the timethe rapidly'vaporizing water reaches the .slot 36 whereupon the steamisjejected from the generating tube 18 outwardlyv into the spray 'chamber .19

rapidlyillingthis' chamber which causes the steam 'tof their` flow with considerable presi lsure through the perforated press face onto the work thus steam moisteningfthe garment, -raising the nap, sterilizing it, and conditioning it for -pressinganddrying- A ..It .will be notedV that the electrically heatedf-coil 18A is p laced' inside the foraminous Vspray Y chamber 19 AandA performs, among other things, three purposes, namely,* it hfeatsthe vpress face 2 0, generates-apredeltermined amount loi? steam' which is ejected into the chamber aboutv the 'c0il,' and serves` to snperheat the steainby reason of. the fact that the steamilowsin and around the eX- ternal wall'of the coil before it spraysV outwardly through the` perforations 21.

Water is periodically injected yinto the coil 18' to instantaneouslyv enerate steam at such times as steam may e required-'to condition the' cloth, but itis to be understood that the heater coil 18functions all the'time to' steam, maybe carried out.

What I claim is:

1. An electric pressing machinecompris-v ing in combination, cooperatin pressing' members, one of. which is lprovi ed with -a Amaintain appropriate temperature of the press jawfacesothat dry pressing, using no hollow steam spraying-chamber and peforations leading therefrom through the press` ing face of said member, a winding ofelectric' current transmission wire dis osed 1 within-said pressingmembensaid wire ing hollow through. which water is passed, electric current supply wires 'connected with .the hollow w1re', water force feed means connectedto said hollow Wire, and said .hollow wire having a: discharge opening which empties the steam' therein generated into the aforesaid perforated. steam spray chamber. .2, in-electric pressing. machine compris- `1ng 1n combination, cooperatin pressing members, one of which is rovi ed with a 'hollow steam spraying chain er and perfora tions leading therefrom throughl the pressing face 'of said Vmember,- a. winding of electric current transmission hollow wire disposed onefend of said liollowwirevhaving a dischargeopening byy which steam 'is ejected from ,the wire into the spray chamber, the other vend ofthe hollow wire projectin through the pressing member, water fee forcing'. :meansv connecting tothe last-named liollow'wire end, and current feed wires connected 'to both hollow wire' ends.

- `3. An electric machine comprisyting Ain combination, cooperating pressing awsmadewith a hollow steamspray-chamr havin a foraminou's'pressing face, a coil of hoh ow water and electric current transmission wire Aplaced inside the spray chamber by which the jaw ressing face is heated electricall and "by W ich the wire is heated electrical y, and means for forcing water through the hollow heated wireI to be,

vaporized into steam 4and' discharged into said steam spray chamber. 4. Argarment Apressing machine comprising in combination, cooperating pressing members provided with a chamber and permembers provided with a chamber and perl.

forated steam spraying face, a spiral' electric heating coil installed in the chamber, said heating coil being hollow, electric feed wire connections established with the spiral coil, said coil being provided at one end thereof with an elongated steam spray discharge opening adapted to distribute and deliver steam to the perforated chamber, and water feed means connected with the coil.

6. An electrically heated and electrically steam generating garment pressing machine,

. hollow wire, and electric means connected with comprising in combination, a foraminous face pressing jaw, a coil of hollow resistance wirein, the jaw, said coil having a steam discharge orice at one end opening into and a,l]acent the foraminous pressing face, water 'force feed means connected with the current feed wires connectedthereto. e

7 A combination electric flash steam generator and electric 'heater for pressescomprising, a press jaw 'providedwith a steam chamber, a perforated press jaw face forming one wall of the chamber, a lining of insulation material covering the internal walls of the steam chamber and having perforations in one wall leading throu h the face plate, an electrical resistance ma e of hollow s wire placed in the chamber resting on the insulation, water force feed means connected with one end of the hollow wire, said wire having a steam discharge opening therein formed at a dist-ance from the water feed` end, said steam discharge opening directly into the steam chamber thereby causing the steam to fiow over the hot resistance wire before it passes outwardly through the perv forations. e

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JAMES o. LEDBETTERV, 

